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I’ve been spending a lot of time working on my diamond painting lately, and I love listening to a good podcast or audiobook while I work.
The last audiobook I finished listening to was “The Woman in Me” by Britney Spears.
I know, I know… I am late to the game on this one! Honestly, when Britney Spears announced she was writing a book, I had mixed feelings.
At first, I was very excited because I’ve always been a fan of hers. But I also felt a little nervous because I knew she’d been through so much.
Before listening to the book, I heard several reviews about it. Many people said this same sentiment; that the book was pretty well-written but it was full of sad stories.
As a result, I waited until I felt the time was right to read it or listen to it.
I was specifically looking for books to listen to, and when I saw it, I knew I was ready. Plus, I heard the narrator — actress Michelle Williams — was good!
I listened to the entire book in just a few days; it’s only around six hours of audio.
The introduction is read by Britney, and she explains that many of the stories in the book would be too emotional for her to read.
Michelle Williams picks up the reading in chapter one, and I thought her voice was really nice throughout — it even sounds similar to Britney’s in some parts.
The book follows Britney’s road to stardom, from her childhood and family life to the successful points in her career fans will recall — her role on “The Mickey Mouse Club,” her wildly popular singles from her debut album, and the many MTV performances.
But she also dives into the darker side of these happy moments. For example, she explains that, after her performance of “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” at the MTV Video Music Awards, executives sat her down and made her watch viewers’ criticisms of the performance.
Even this small part of the book shocked me. That performance was ICONIC. I actually found the video of her watching the criticisms. It’s obvious she doesn’t know why she’s being forced to watch it and tries to laugh it off.
Of course, the book goes deeper and discusses how the conservatorship came to be and what it was like for her. It took a little bit for fans to activate after realizing something was happening behind the scenes, but I don’t think anyone knew how bad it really was.
She details that the conservatorship went beyond a financial hold and dipped into other areas of her life. Her text messages were all read (including personal ones to her boyfriend), her diet was restricted (she says she ate nothing but grilled chicken and canned vegetables for years), and even her time in the bathroom was monitored.
From her account, the conservatorship was less about protecting her mental health and financials and more about ensuring “the machine” (her) kept running and would pay those on the payroll, including her father.
In order to keep the conservatorship in place, there had to be evidence of a problem. This led to what appears to be unnecessary visits to rehab and a refusal to let Britney update her Las Vegas Residency show.
Throughout the book, Britney also details her personal relationships from dating Justin Timberlake to marrying Kevin Federline, and yes, she does share what happened that night she was married to a childhood friend for 18 hours.
The other part of the book I found really interesting was how the media treated and portrayed Spears. After the book came out, there was a lot of talk about the interview with Diane Sawyer.
After listening to the book, I rewatched the interview (I watched it when it originally aired) and… yikes. The interview was filmed shortly after Britney’s breakup with Justin, and Sawyer grills her about what “she did” to make him turn around and write “Cry Me a River.”
Sawyer also presses Britney about her clothing, saying it’s “too much” and even showing her pictures of specific outfits and magazine covers to ask her if she regrets her choices. She also asks her about her virginity — Timberlake told the press he slept with Britney and Sawyer wants to know, what happened to her being a virgin until her wedding night.
WHAT THE HELL?!?!?! It’s soooo cringy to watch, and, according to my Google search, Diane has yet to apologize.
Le sigh.
Overall, this is a really good book. It was better written than I thought it would be, and I appreciate her sharing these stories. I have a feeling, though, that these are just the tip of the iceberg. I think in the coming years, she will process even more — not saying she has to share that.
If you’re a Britney fan and haven’t read this yet, I’d definitely add it to your TBR list!
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